This invention is directed to a toy having articulated parts and a motor means so as to move the articulated parts with respect to one another. More particularly, the toy includes a set of drive wheels attaching to one of the body parts with the drive wheels being connected to or lifted from a support surface in response to articulation of the parts of the toy.
Several toys are known wherein one part moves with respect to the other. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,504,679; there is a novelty toy described which mimics a set of false teeth. The toy has a motor which causes the upper plate of the teeth to move up and down with respect to the lower plate of the teeth in a manner mimicking the movement of a human jaw. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 2,931,135 describes a novelty toy which is in the shape of a pair of hands and includes a motor therein. When activated, one hand moves with respect to the other to mimic a clapping type motion. In these two patents, a first member moves with respect to a second member. The totality of the objects, however, do not mover over a surface.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,260,016, an improved toy of the type of toys noted above is shown which includes a first part and a second part like the above toys. However, the toy also includes the ability to oscillate or jiggle on a support surface as the first part moves with respect to the second part. In this particular toy, a comical hat is attached to a pair of comical shoes and when the wind-up motor is activated, the hat jiggles with respect to the shoes and the totality of the toy jiggles on a support surface about a central boss located on the bottom of the shoes. While this toy is capable of jiggling on a support surface, its movement is restricted to a creeping motion as the toy jiggles about the boss.
The above toys are quite comical in appearance and interesting to observe. They are not, however, capable of moving to a great extent across a support surface.